Turkey Shrugs Off Success of Hitler's 'Mein Kampf'

[RawMaterials]

ANKARA (Reuters) - Turkey's government Monday played down soaring sales of Adolf Hitler's anti-Semitic book "Mein Kampf" ("My Struggle") and said there were no racists in the large Muslim country.

Booksellers say "Mein Kampf," or "Kavgam" in Turkish, has featured among the top 10 bestsellers in the past two months, to the dismay of the country's small Jewish community and of the German embassy in Ankara.

snip..

Anti-Semitism has traditionally been weak in Turkey, a Muslim but secular country that has forged close security ties with Israel in recent years.

The Turkish Ottoman Empire offered refuge to Jews and other minorities fleeing persecution in Europe from the time of the Spanish Inquisition onwards.

Political analysts say "Mein Kampf" probably reflects rising nationalism and anti-American sentiment rather than anti-Semitism or specific support for Hitler and his ideas.

Many Turks are worried their country is having to make too many concessions to the European Union as it prepares for the start of long-delayed entry talks later this year.

There is also widespread anger about the U.S. occupation of neighboring Iraq.

The current No. 1 bestseller in Turkey, ahead of "Mein Kampf," is "Metal Storm," which depicts a U.S. invasion of the country. The Turkish hero avenges his homeland by destroying Washington with a nuclear device.


http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=oddlyEnoughNews&storyID=8013664

Things just keep getting worse everyday.

[smitty]

1. Mein Kampf follies

"Mein Kampf" has been a steady seller in the Middle East for many years; it was first translated into Arabic in the 1930s. It's disquieting to see it now selling in Turkey but there has been an upsurge of Muslim fundamentalism in that country in the past several years so it's not surprising to read that it has become a big seller. I disagree with the Reuters analysis, anti-semitism (as well as anti-Americanism) is a big factor for the book's popularity among the fundies.

Who would think that a book written by a marginally literate, genocidal, nazi lunatic eighty years ago would still be in print? OTOH, "The Protocols of the Elders of Zion", a total fabrication written by the Czarist secret police a hundred years ago, is still in print and can be purchased at any airport in Muslim countries or in Russian bookstores.

[Kagemusha]

2. You don't think animosity towards Kurds plays any role?

Just asking. Because allying with the Kurds is something the US and Israel have been doing lately, and lo and behold, we have this surge of anti-Americanism and anti-Semitism.

[hel]

3. It definitely does.

US support of Kurds and invasion of Iraq both have fueled ultra-nationalism and anti-Americanism in this country. One has to do with the fear that a Kurdish self-governed country on our borders will bring the civil war and instability back to Turkey, and the other is the fear that we might be the target of USA one day. As a response, Turkish people and most important of all, the youth population has felt themselves closer to an ugly form of nationalism than ever. The democratic/leftist parties are at an all-time low while right-wing groups and politics are highly regarded. It is getting more and more frightening.

[Moderator]

4. RawMaterials

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DU Moderator

[Name removed]

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[cascadiance]

6. Be careful though...

Even Attaturk offered safe haven as well to many Jews seeking to escape the German holocaust before World War II that benefitted them mutually (helped them escape and helped build up Turkey's educational system and technological prowess). Turkey's good relationship with Jews was helped by that too then.

It doesn't help when you have the likes of Wolfowitz and Rumsfeld making visits to Turkey only to visit bases there and not bothering to even meet with any Turkish officials out of spite after the war.

[hel]

9. Before that Ottoman Empire took in Jews trying to escape

Spanish Inquisition.

And it's Ataturk by the way. not 'Atta'.

[Megahurtz]

7. Yeah, the Turks were brutal back then

they ravaged all of Yugoslavia too.

And welcome to DU. Your username is funny!:hi:

[hel]

8. One thing though, it was not Turkey back then.

Your 'starterts' reference is an obviously anti-Turkey propaganda piece, and you are being offensive to both Turks and Jews with your claim that 'Hitler had more to learn'.